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FOX NHL Sunday
NHL on FOX is the branding formerly used for FOX's broadcasts of National Hockey League games, and televised on FOX network from the 1994–1995 NHL season until the 1998–1999 NHL season. Although the Fox broadcast network no longer airs league telecasts, NHL games currently air on the Fox Sports Networks in the form of game telecasts that air on a regional basis, featuring local NHL teams that each of the regional networks have respective broadcast rights to air in their designated market. History On the heels of its surprise acquisition of the television rights to the National Football League in December 1993, Fox sought deals with other major sports leagues to expand its newly created sports division, opting to go after the rights to broadcast National Hockey League (NHL) games. CBS, which had just lost its NFL package (which primarily included the rights to regular season and playoff games from the National Football Conference) to Fox, was the network's primary competitor for the NHL package, hoping to replace some of the sports programming it had lost to the upstart network. Nevertheless, in a serious blow to the elder network, Fox outbid CBS for the NHL package as well. On September 9, 1994, the National Hockey League reached a five-year contract with Fox for the broadcast television rights to the league's games, beginning with the 1994–95 season. The network paid $155 million ($31 million annually) to televise NHL regular season and postseason games on Sunday, considerably less than the $1.58 billion it paid for the NFL television rights. NHL's initial deal with Fox was significant, as a network television contract in the United States was long thought unattainable during the presidency of John Ziegler. For 17 years after the 1975 Finals was broadcast on NBC, there would be no national over-the-air network coverage of the NHL in the U.S. (with the exception of CBS' coverage of Game 2 of the 1979 Challenge Cup and Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals, and NBC's coverage of the NHL All-Star Game from 1990 to 1994) and only spotty coverage on regional networks. This was due to the fact that no network was willing to commit to carrying a large number of games, in turn, providing low ratings for NHL telecasts. ABC would eventually resume broadcasting regular NHL games (on a time buy basis through ESPN) for the 1992–93 season (and continuing through the 1993–94 season, before Fox took over for the next five seasons). Fox inaugurated its NHL coverage on April 2, 1995, towards the end of the 1994–95 regular season, with 6 games (between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers; St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings; Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals; Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars; Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning; and the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks). Mike Emrick and John Davidson served as the main broadcast team for the network's national game broadcasts, while regionally distributed games were handled by a variety of announcers. For the first four years of the deal, James Brown and Dave Maloney hosted the show from the Fox Network Center studios in Los Angeles. For the 5th and final season, the hosts were Suzy Kolber and Terry Crisp. Occasionally, active NHL players such as Mike Modano would serve as guest analysts. FoxTrax Fox's NHL broadcasts are perhaps best remembered for its use of FoxTrax (colloquially called the "glow puck," "smart puck" or "super puck"), a specialized ice hockey puck designed for the network's NHL telecasts, which featured internal electronics that allow its position to be tracked. It was primarily used to visually highlight the puck on-screen and display a trail when the puck was moving rapidly. The FoxTrax puck, while considered to be generally popular according to Fox Sports, generated a great deal of controversy and criticism, especially in Canada, from longtime fans of the game,4 and was ridiculed by comedians on both sides of the border. Stanley Cup playoff coverage During the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, 2 games were televised each round. All-Star Game, Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals For the All-Star Game, Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals, the games (which were national telecasts) were hosted from the arena. The 1996 and 1997 All-Star Games were televised in prime time. Stanley Cup Finals FOX split coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals with ESPN. Game 1 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals was the first Finals game shown on network television since 1980 and the first in prime time since 1973. Games 1, 5, and 7 were usually scheduled to be televised by Fox; and Games 2, 3, 4, and 6 were set to air on ESPN. However, from 1995 to 1998, the Finals matches were all four game sweeps; the 1999 Finals ended in six games. The consequence was that – except for 1995, when Fox did televise Game 4 – the decisive game was never shown on network television. Had there been a Game 7, then Mike Emrick would have called (play-by-play), John Davidson (as color commentator), alongside Suzy Kolber (as studio host), Terry Crisp (studio analyst), and Joe Micheletti (as reporter, who would have been in the winning team's dressing room to interview players and coaches as well as hand the phone to the winning team's coach that that would have allowed him to talk to President Bill Clinton. The game would have started at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, June 22, 1999 on Fox. Perhaps in recognition of this,'' Games 3 through 7 were always televised by ABC in the succeeding broadcast agreement between the NHL and ABC Sports/ESPN. Game 4 of the 1995 Final was notable because not only did the New Jersey Devils win the Stanley Cup, but also the team's main television play-by-play announcer, Mike Emrick announced it. Stanley Cup Finals broadcast schedules * 1995 – Games 1, 4, 5, 7 on Fox; Games 2, 3, 6 on ESPN * 1996 – Games 1, 3, 5, 7 on Fox; Games 2, 4, 6 on ESPN * 1997 – Games 1, 5, 6, 7 on Fox; Games 2, 3, 4 on ESPN * 1998 – Games 1, 5, 7 on Fox; Games 2, 3, 4, 6 on ESPN * 1999 – Games 1, 2, 5, 7 on Fox; Games 3, 4, 6 on ESPN The end of ''NHL on FOX Things ended badly between FOX and the NHL in 1999, when the NHL announced a new television deal with ESPN that also called for sister broadcast network ABC to become the new network television partner (as previously mentioned). FOX challenged that it had never been given a chance to match the network component of the deal, but ABC ultimately prevailed. Fox placed a bid for NHL broadcast rights when they came up for renewal in 2011, but FOX dropped out of the running as a result of a bidding war between NBCUniversal and ESPN. The bid made by NBCUniversal (which owns NBC, Versus and USA Network) was selected by the league, in a ten-year extension of its existing broadcast contract. Coverage overview Regular season Fox televised between 5 and 11 regionally distributed games on Saturday or Sunday afternoons during the regular season, where anywhere from 3 to 6 games ran concurrently/week. All times below are Eastern. 1994–95 Main article: 1994–95 NHL season 1995–96 Main article: 1995–96 NHL season *Denotes use of FoxTrax puck. 1996–97 Main article: 1996–97 NHL season 1997–98 Main article: 1997–98 NHL season Note * FOX was initially scheduled to air a Pittsburgh Penguins-Tampa Bay Lightning game on April 4. 1998–99 Main article: 1998–99 NHL season ^The Pittsburgh Penguins–New York Rangers game on April 18 (Wayne Gretzky's final game before his retirement) began on MSG in the New York City market as WNYW (FOX's flagship station) aired a Yankees game against the Detroit Tigers. The station would join the hockey game midway through the second period. The week prior (April 11), WNYW aired another Yankees game over the Pittsburgh-Detroit NHL game, which instead aired on MSG from start to finish. Stanley Cup playoff coverage 1995 Notes * The May 14 game in Quebec City was the final home game ever for the Quebec Nordiques. The team would become the Colorado Avalanche in the summer of 1995. * The June 24 game in New Jersey was the Stanley Cup Finals' deciding game as New Jersey Devils swept Detroit Red Wings. Although FOX retained rights to certain other games where the Stanley Cup could be decided (including any and all Game 7s), 1995 was the only time during its run as NHL broadcaster that FOX actually carried Stanley Cup clinching victory on-air. 1996 *Denotes use of FoxTrax puck. * The April 28 game in Winnipeg was the final home game for the original Winnipeg Jets. The franchise would become the Phoenix Coyotes in the summer of 1996. 1997 1998 1999 Personalities * Mike Emrick-'John Davidson'-''Joe Micheletti'' * Sam Rosen-Joe Micheletti * Kenny Albert-Gary Green/Mickey Redmond/Denis Potvin/Craig Simpson/Terry Crisp/Peter McNab * Jiggs McDonald-Greg Millen/Peter McNab * Dick Stockton-Mike Eruzione * Bob Miller-Gary Green * Dave Strader-Denis Potvin/Greg Millen * Pat Foley-Mickey Redmond * Rick Jeanneret-Mickey Redmond * John Kelly-Craig Simpson * Josh Lewin-Daryl Reaugh Studio commentators * James Brown: Studio host (1994–1998) * Terry Crisp: Studio analyst (1998–1999) * Suzy Kolber: Studio host (1998–1999) * Dave Maloney: Studio analyst (1994–1998) Reporters * ''Joe Micheletti'' * Sandra Neil * Chris Simpson Ratings Stanley Cup Finals Game 4 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals drew a 4.7 rating and a 10 share. In the New York City market (on Fox owned-and-operated station WNYW), the game drew a 10.6 rating and 21 share; in Detroit (on Fox affiliate, now owned-and-operated station, WJBK), it drew a 14.1 rating and 26 share. Regular season All-Star Game Category:NHL broadcaster